


Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty...

by Sawsha12



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, Kink Meme, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-20
Updated: 2011-08-20
Packaged: 2017-10-22 21:16:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/242685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sawsha12/pseuds/Sawsha12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eames is a fireman. Arthur's cat gets stuck in a tree on a weekly basis. That sneaky feline. Arthur, having decided to return back to school has to deal with that, work, dating, and…Eames. He really doesn’t have time for all this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty...

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Characters are not mine  
> Warning: minor language, AU  
> A/N: Filling this prompt at inception_kink - Eames is a fireman. Arthur's cat gets stuck in a tree on a weekly basis. That sneaky feline.  
> I apologize for my lack of knowledge in firefighting and medical stuff. I tried by doing some research.

 

  
“I can’t take that.”

“Why not?”

“Ariadne, I don’t have time for this.”

“Oh come on, Arthur.” Ariadne crossed her arms and stared defiantly at Arthur. “You’re a stress junky. I’m certain that you can organize your day for one more responsibility.”

“That’s adrenalin junky,” corrected Arthur as he too crossed his arms and returned the stern stare. “Why don’t you take care of him? You’re obviously feeling attached.”

“It’s a her,” stated Ariadne as a matter-of-fact. “And I would if I could, but my roommate has allergies.”

Arthur reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Ariadne, I just rearranged my work schedule so that I can go back to school. I can’t take care of her.”

“Please Arthur,” Ariadne pleaded. “It’s only for a little while until I find someone who can take her.”

“Why don’t you take her to the shelter? I’m sure they can find a suitable home for her.”

Ariadne shook her head. “I found her in the alley, so I want to personally make sure she has a good home. Please Arthur.”

Arthur finally gazed down at the basket, which held a coffee-brown striped cat. The cat was sleeping, snuggled in a fluffy white towel, oblivious to the conversation taken overhead. 

“One week,” Arthur finally said and mentally kicked himself for agreeing. “You have one week,” he repeated.

Ariadne squealed, “Thank you.” She stepped forward and gave Arthur a hug. “What are you going to name her?”

Arthur’s brows furrowed. “She’s not going to be staying with me for long. I would rather not give her a name.”

“Whatever,” Ariadne waved him off. “Hey, have you seen that new guy at work? He’s pretty hot. Maybe you should ask him out…”

~*~*~

“You be good, Artemis.” Arthur knelt down to pet his cat. She purred, and as he straightened, she wound herself around his ankles. Arthur smiled down at her.

Arthur made sure the litter box was clean and Artemis’ bowls were full. This was going to be a long day for Arthur. He had classes, then work afterwards. He wouldn’t be home until two or three in the morning, and he wanted to make sure Artemis was set for the rest of the day.

As an afterthought, Arthur cracked a side window for Artemis to exit his apartment as she pleased. The window was small enough, so he wasn’t worried about anyone sneaking in.

Arthur slung his backpack over his shoulder and picked up his duffle bag containing his uniform. Taking a moment for a last minute check, Arthur nodded in satisfaction and stepped out the door.

Arthur zipped up his jacket against the crisp morning air. The sky was still dark with a hint of sunlight peeking through the eastern horizon. A couple of joggers ran by. Across the street a woman walked her dog.

Arthur checked his time and looked up to see a fire engine drive by. Farther down the neighborhood, the fire engine turned into Station 8 of the Cherry Hill Fire Department. This happened often enough that Arthur didn’t pay much attention to the routine route.

Descending the few steps, Arthur went to his car. He thought maybe he could quickly grab a coffee and a muffin before hitting class. Arthur was nothing but a creature of routine.

~*~*~

“Ariadne, have you found a home for Artemis yet?” Arthur asked as soon as he stepped into the conference room.

Ariadne looked chagrin. “Not quite yet.” She was already sitting at the table with a small stack of papers by her side.

“It’s been a month,” said Arthur. “I distinctly remember giving you one week.”

“I’ve been busy,” Ariadne said defensively. “Besides you’ve been getting along with Artemis well enough. You gave her a name at least.”

“What was I suppose to do? Call her cat until you find her a new home?” Arthur glared down at Ariadne. “This is still not permanent.”

Ariadne waved Arthur away. “So, Arthur,” Ariadne leered, “how was class today?”

“Redundant,” responded Arthur as he settled in the chair across from Ariadne. “Are you ever going to stop asking that question every time you see me?”

“No.” 

Arthur rolled his eyes. “I thought as much.”

“Hey, I’m not the one who’s trying to become an overachiever by going back for your Masters.” Ariadne arched an eyebrow in accusation. “Then you went ahead and flipped your schedule so we aren’t on the same shift. Do you have any idea how hard it is to work with those yahoos who think they know it all because they just graduated?”

“You could go back too,” Arthur pointed out. He didn’t bother mentioning that Ariande recently graduated as well. She was more confident in her abilities than the rest. “Then we can have the exact same schedule.”

“Are you crazy?” snapped Ariadne.

Arthur shrugged and then deadpanned. “We can be crazy together.”

Ariadne shook here head. Her hair swooshed with the movement. “I’ve paid my dues and graduated.” She crossed her arms, making her look like a young child instead of a 25-year-old woman. “I’m a respectable nurse, and I’m enjoying my newfound freedom from school.”

Arthur smiled. He knew how it felt to be newly graduated and finally working. However, after six years of being a nurse, he thought it was time for a change.

“Not much is going to change once you’ve become a nurse practitioner,” continued Ariande.

“Sure there will be,” said Arthur seriously. “I’ll be more superior than you are.”

Ariande threw her pen at Arthur and gave him the look. “Just be glad I like you or there’ll be blood.”

Arthur snorted, not fazed by the threat. “Now, are you going to give me the report so I can start my shift already?”

Ariande passed Arthur her current caseload. “One good thing working at nights, it’s a lot calmer than the days.”

“Have you forgotten where we work, Ariadne?” asked Arthur, as he scanned through the papers. “We work in the ER. It’s _always_  busy.”

~*~*~

Arthur wanted nothing more than to sink into his bed and sleep. He had to admit, the night shift was different. New Jersey’s most colorful characters came through the ER during the night hours. After the third or fourth person who came in with a foreign object stuck up his/her ass, Arthur wished for someone to put him out his misery. 

“God, I hate my life sometimes,” Arthur mumbled pathetically as he shed his scrubs and stepped into the staff shower.

The shower refreshed him somewhat, but Arthur couldn’t wait to get back home. Luckily it was the weekend for him. There weren’t any classes that he had to worry about, and he had nearly 12 hours before coming back for his next shift. Arthur could hear his bed calling for him. Well, he wasn’t going to disappoint.

Arthur stepped out of his car and shouldered his backpack and duffle bag. Then he heard the mewing. Arthur paused, uncertain if he heard correctly. He shrugged and stepped forward. Again he heard the mewing and this time somewhere above him.

Receiving a sinking feeling, Arthur looked up. Surely enough in the tree, several branches above, Artemis peered down at him. “You, what are you doing up there?”

Artemis meowed for her response. Arthur groaned. “Do you think you can come down on your own, girl?”

Arthur extended his arms, watching to see what Artemis would do. She continued to stare back at Arthur with unblinking eyes. Her claws dug into the branch. Her tail curled and flicked around the branch. Artemis was not going to move.

“Damn it,” Arthur cursed under his breath. He gazed around, searching for answers. It was too late to bother the neighbors. Maintenance, who had the ladders locked up, was gone for the night. He supposed he could leave Artemis and see if she’ll eventually work her way down. Cats dying and starving in trees were just a myth, right?

Arthur gritted his teeth and brought his hand up to rub his eyes with frustration. Of course he wasn’t going to leave Artemis up there. Despite what most people thought of him, he did have a heart at times. Besides, he didn’t want to hear Ariadne harp about animal cruelty. 

Then the solution came to him as he watched the fire engine drive by. He reached for his phone and after a few taps he found the number to the fire station.

“Captain Cobb speaking,” spoke a soothing voice over the receiver.

“Captain Cobb, thank you,” started Arthur. Now that he made the actual call he felt embarrassed for using the firefighters for this situation. “My name is Arthur. I live just a few blocks from the station…”

“Do you have an emergency, Mr. Arthur?” Cobb came to attention fairly quickly, increasing Arthur’s guilt.

“No, no, it’s not an emergency, sir.” Now Arthur felt terrible. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, thought Arthur. “My cat is stuck in a tree,” he quickly blurted out.

“…”

Arthur smacked his forehead and shook his head at the dark sky. This was a bad idea from the start. The moment he stated his request, he realized how ridiculous he sounded.

“Mr. Arthur,” said Cobb professionally. “I’m sorry that your cat is in the tree, but the fire department doesn’t handle these situation anymore. However, if you like I can give you the number for the animal retrieval services. If your cat is still in the tree by morning, they’ll be the best folks to call.”

Arthur took down the number. “Thank you, Captain Cobb. I apologize for calling so late.”

“No problem.”

Arthur hung up. His shoulder sagged as he glared accusingly up at Artemis. “I should leave you up there and let you figure out how to get yourself down.”

Artemis yowled pitifully. Arthur glared back, his hands on his hips. After a few seconds, Arthur bowed his head in defeat. With a heavy sigh, he dropped his backpack and duffle bag at the base of the tree trunk. He then doffed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

“Damn you,” Arthur muttered as he calculated if the branch would hold his weight.

When Arthur was about to jump for the lowest branch, the fire engine drove by. “Oi, you Arthur?” asked the firefighter in the driver’s seat.

Arthur’s ear perked up when he caught a British accent. “Yes, I’m Arthur.”

“Fantastic, I heard you have a little cat problem.” The firefighter climbed out of the truck and extended his hand towards Arthur. “The name is Eames.”

Arthur looked puzzled as he honed onto the firefighter’s name badge. He cocked an eyebrow with moderate surprise. “Lieutenant Eames, I – I thought Captain Cobb just said the fire department…”

“Doesn’t do this sort of thing.” Eames interrupted Arthur with a wave. “Well, it’s true. We don’t waste valuable tax dollars on trivial stuff like that. The captain is very particular by following the book.”

Arthur crossed his arms and glared at Eames. “Then what are you doing here?”

“Well…” Eames rubbed the back of his head. “I told the Cap you were just around the corner, and it would only take a tick to get the job done.” Eames gave Arthur a crooked smile. “Should I get her down, or would you rather I be a good boy and follow protocol?”

What a cheeky bastard, thought Arthur. Unfortunately he wanted Artemis rescued. He forced a smile. “If you don’t mind.”

“Of course not, darling.” Eames turned to retrieve the ladder from the truck.

“Did you just call me…darling?” Arthur asked, sounding skeptical.

“That I did, pet.” Eames winked before propping the ladder against the tree. He looked up and shifted the ladder for a better position.

Arthur shook his head and frowned. He felt uncertain about this shady fireman.

Eames climbed the ladder. “Hey there, love.” Eames extended his hand towards Artemis. “Come to Eames.”

Artemis blinked back at Eames, studying this stranger. Arthur snorted silently to himself. He was glad he wasn’t the only one who thought Eames was shifty.

“Oi, Arthur,” Eames called down. “What’s your cat’s name?”

“Artemis,” Arthur replied without hesitation.

Eames nodded and wiggled his fingers. “Here, Artemis. Let’s get you down now. That’s a pretty girl.” Eames reached and grabbed Artemis by the nape. She protested and hissed, but Eames kept his hold and pulled her close to his chest. She calmed then and allowed Eames to carry her down to the ground.

“The goddess of the hunt, Artemis. It’s a very fetching name for this one.” Eames stroked the top of Artemis’ head before handing her over to Arthur.

Arthur accepted Artemis in his arms. “I thought so at the time.” He hated to admit it, but Arthur was impressed that Eames knew of the origin of Artemis’ name. 

Eames looked up at the tree. “I bet you she saw something up there worth hunting –a squirrel maybe. If she didn’t get it this time, she might climb up there again.”

“God, I hope not,” said Arthur. One experience was plenty. 

Eames chuckled. “Knowing the captain, he probably gave you the number to the animal recovery service.”

Arthur nodded.

“If it’s after hours though, don’t be afraid to give us a call,” finished Eames as he loaded the ladder back on the fire engine.

“I don’t think that Captain Cobb would appreciate that,” started Arthur.

Eames scoffed. “Cobb’s an arse most of the time. Just ask for Eames, and I’ll take your call.”

“Thank you.” Arthur was confident that Artemis would not end up in the tree a second time. 

Eames waved as he climbed into the fire engine. Arthur stood holding Artemis, watching Eames drive back to the fire station. 

~*~*~

“You have got to be shitting me,” said Arthur as he glared up into the tree. He came out of his car and found Artemis stuck in the exact same tree on the exact same branch.

A week passed, and Arthur just pulled a double: school then work. He left the window open throughout the week, and Artemis hadn’t once gotten in trouble. “Do you really hate me that much?” Arthur said to Artemis.

Arthur reached up to scrub his face tryingly. Once again limited in his options, he pulled out his phone and dialed the fire station. He was going to take Eames’ offer.

“Captain Cobb,” Cobb’s dry tone came over the receiver.

“Is Lieutenant Eames there?” Arthur quickly asked. He didn’t particularly want to speak to Cobb.

“Eames speaking.”

“Lieutenant Eames…” began Arthur. He started to hate life for putting him in this situation.

“Arthur, darling,” chimed Eames. “Color me surprised for the late night call.”

Arthur gritted his teeth in annoyance. He hated being teased. “My cat…”

“Up a tree again.” Eames huffed a breathy chuckle. “I’ll be there in a tick.”

Eames hung up before Arthur could say anything more. This Eames was a character who acted like a jerk but was willing to help. Arthur leaned against the tree and gazed down the street.

He waited for the familiar fire engine to come. After about five minutes, Arthur wondered if Eames would arrive. Maybe there was a complication or an emergency call. He wondered if he needed to call back to make sure.

“Oi, Arthur,” called Eames.

Arthur looked up in time to see Eames running down the street. His arm looped over a long ladder. Another man jogged behind, carrying the other end of the ladder.

“Lieutenant?” Arthur raised a questioning brow as he stepped off the curve to meet the two firemen.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” breathed Eames once he reached Arthur. His chest heaved as he caught his breath. “The Cap wouldn’t let me take the fire engine. So I had to improvise.”

“Actually, the captain threatened to string you up by your thumbs if you touch the keys,” said the other man. He was hunched over, hands on his knees as he huffed for breath.

“Shut up, Yusuf,” hissed Eames.

Yusuf gave Eames a rude gesture before saying, “Let’s get this done before the captain realized we’re missing.”

Arthur’s eyes widened. “Your captain doesn’t know you’re here?”

“Minor detail,” Eames waved Arthur’s concern aside and shot Yusuf a warning glare. He hefted the ladder and set the ladder against the tree. “Let’s get Artemis down before we’re caught, yeah.”

“Are you crazy or just stupid?” Arthur didn’t know how else he should phrase his thoughts.

“A little of both actually,” piped Yusuf with a smile. 

Going against orders for a minor thing like getting a cat out of the tree was absurd. Arthur didn’t want to be the cause of Eames’ troubles, yet he watched Eames climb up the ladder to retrieve Artemis.

“There you go,” Eames said as he handed Artemis to Arthur.

“Thank you,” replied Arthur.

Eames smiled and crossed his arms. “Can I ask you a question, darling?”

Arthur nodded, curious what Eames would ask.

“What sort of work do you do that have you coming home at such odd hours of the night?”

Arthur clamped his mouth so that his lips thinned into a straight line. He wasn’t going to divulge that information to Eames. He barely knew the man. “Use your imagination.”

“Quit flirting with the poor sod, mate,” said Yusuf warily, as he lifted one end of the ladder. He expected Eames to get the other end. “The captain really will have our heads on the chopper if we don’t return.”

Eames shrugged, showing a hint of frustration. He lowered himself to get the other end of the ladder. “Maybe another time then.”

“Thanks again,” said Arthur not daring to comment further lest he stuck his foot in his mouth.

Arthur watched the two firemen jogging down the darkened street with the ladder between them until they were out of sight. He turned to gather the rest of his belongings before heading into his apartment. He looked down at Artemis then.

“I’m going to make sure this doesn’t happen again, Artemis,” Arthur promised.

~*~*~

Next Friday, Arthur took certain measures. He shut the window before heading out. Artemis hadn’t gotten into any trouble on days he came home at reasonable times. He figured that Artemis tended to get stuck in the tree during his longer days. 

Not today, thought Arthur as he gave his apartment a last cursor glance. Everything was in order, and he would come home without having to worry about Artemis stuck in the tree.

Classes today were actually interesting: introduction to diagnostic testing. That was something he hadn’t have much experience at work. Work wasn’t bad either. He finally had a chance to talk to the new guy that Ariadne bragged about, Robert Fischer.

“I don’t think I could handle it,” said Fischer, “going to school full time as well as working full time.”

Arthur nodded, checking the monitor. “It helps to have a few classes online and a flexible job.”

“That and great organization skills,” commented Fischer. “You would have to stay on top of everything in order to stay sane.”

Arthur shrugged before checking on the Jane Doe the EMT found unconscious on the street. “That helps too.” He fluently dodged around the wheeling crash cart to the drawer. He gathered some gauze and went to the next patient.

He noticed Fischer followed him. “Here, make yourself useful and help me with this dressing change.” He hated when others were idle when there was work to be done.

Fischer, to his credit, complied without complaint. “Are you hanging in there, miss?” he asked the patient.

Nodding approvingly, Arthur pressed the pump and gave the young patient a bolus of pain medication. The doctor had reduced the dislocated wrist, but it looked painful. The wrist was splinted, but there was also a superficial laceration on the forearm. 

With Fischer’s assistant, Arthur was able to complete the task quickly and efficiently without much fuss. To finish up, he applied ice and directed the patient to elevate her arm.

“You’re very efficient, Arthur,” said Fischer with awe.

“Thank you,” Arthur stated as he made a quick note in the chart before moving onto the next patient. He was surprised that Fischer was still with him instead of checking on his own patient. In fact, it felt like Fischer was trying to warm up to him.

“Don’t you have your own patients to follow up with?” Arthur finally asked. 

“Oh,” Fischer took a casual look behind his back at his station. “They’re stable.”

Arthur turned and gave Fischer a serious look that said,  _Get your ass back to work._

Fischer caught on quickly, and he held both hands up in defeat. He backed away from Arthur. Before he turned completely away, he asked, “Do you want to get a coffee after our shift?”

An automatic no was present on his lips, but he held back. However, wasn’t it just last week that Arthur thought he hadn’t gone out with someone in a long while? Or was it that he hadn’t had sex for even longer? Arthur shook his head to clear his mind. A date was a great place to start.

“Alright,” Arthur said with a smile.

Coffee from the hospital cafeteria was terrible, but Arthur got to know Fischer on a more personal level. He found out Fischer’s father owned a corporate business in New York. His father frowned upon him taking his own path instead of taking the family business. He became a nurse to stick it to his father along with following his passion of helping people.

Overall, Arthur surmised Robert Fischer as the type unafraid to do what he wanted regardless of who pressured him. Arthur found he admired that quality. 

Arthur leaned back in his seat and fiddled with his empty cup. He realized they’ve been talking for nearly an hour. “It’s late,” Arthur finally said.

“You’re right,” Fischer said with a hesitant smile. “I wouldn’t mind doing this with you again…”

Arthur grinned, showing his dimple. Surprisingly, he enjoyed the time with Fischer as well. “I wouldn’t mind either.”

Fischer let out a breath of relief. “Great, how about next week when we finish work?”

Arthur nodded. While smiling, he left for home. His smile held until he stepped into his apartment. The apartment looked like it had been ransacked. However, after a quick assessment, Arthur noticed nothing appeared to be taken. Drawers were neatly closed, yet everything else was chaotic.

The garbage bin was tipped, and garbage scattered across the floor. One of his leather-bound books was scratched and torn apart. Papers from his desk were crumpled. Half of the curtains were torn down. There were long scratches on the couch, and the small couch pillow was unrecognizable.

Arthur immediately found the culprit on the bookshelf. Artemis sat grooming herself and giving Arthur the cold shoulder. “I get it,” snapped Arthur. “You don’t like how late I come home, but there has got to be a better way to display your displeasure.” 

Artemis continued to ignore him.

“Fine.” He began to wonder who was in charge of this household because obviously it wasn’t him. He looked around the mess and decided he would take care of it after he slept.

~*~*~

Arthur enjoyed his Wednesdays. On Wednesday he didn’t have to work, and he came home early from school. Usually he used the time to run errands and tie up loose ends for the week. Today he’d cleaned his apartment.

Normally his place wasn’t too bad. Arthur was never ashamed to have company stop by unexpectedly. However, ever since the “disaster” he thought he used the opportunity to do some deep cleaning. Besides, he invited Fischer to his apartment tonight. He wanted to make a good first impression.

By six, Arthur had everything organized. Pasta kept warm in the oven. Shortly after, Fischer arrived.

“So this is where you live,” said Fischer as he glanced around the apartment. “You’ve done well for yourself, Arthur.”

“This isn’t anything,” said Arthur as he poured them both a glass of wine. He was secretly pleased by Fischer’s approval. “I bet your place is much more fancier than mine,” Arthur said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Yes, but that’s beside the point,” Fischer said seriously. “The place I have is a spare apartment my father had. I didn’t earn it like you did.”

Arthur heard the undertone resentment and decided to redirect. “I made pasta. I hope you’re okay with it.”

“Anything.” Fischer sneezed. “Oh, excuse me.”

“Bless you,” Arthur said systematically as he pulled out the plates and silverware.

“Do you need any help?” offered Fischer. Another sneeze snuck in a moment later.

Arthur shook his head, but he glanced back at Fischer with concern. “Are you coming down with something, Robert?”

“Not that I know of.” Fischer waved Arthur’s concern away as he took his seat at the table. “Maybe it’s all the spices you used in your pasta that’s agitating my nose.”

“Hey,” Arthur said teasingly. “Keep this up and I won’t tell you what happened to the last guy who mocked my cooking.”

Fischer laughed before sneezing again. He took a seat as his eyes began to water. Then he saw her. His breath hitched, “Arthur, I didn’t know you have a cat.”

“Yeah, I do,” Arthur, said as he took out the pasta. “I must have forgotten to mention…” Arthur paused when he heard glass shattering behind him.

Arthur turned in time to see Fischer backing away from Artemis. His hand was at his throat and his eyes bulged as he tried to breathe. There were blotches of red patches on his skin as well as a light sheen of sweat.

“Shit!” Arthur bolted to the bathroom and retrieved his first-aid kit. He tore open the box and retrieved the Epi-pen. His heart pounded against his chest when he found Fischer on the ground with his eyes lulling back.

Without wasting anymore time, he prepped the Epi-pen and jabbed the tip into Fischer’s thigh. He waited a few seconds before he witnessed Fischer inhaling a breath with his eyes refocusing.

“Hey, hey, Robert.” Arthur lightly pressed his hand to the side of Fischer’s face. “Look at me.” Once he got Fischer’s attention, Arthur nodded. “We have to get you to the hospital. Do you think you can manage to get to my car, or do I need to call the ambulance?”

“I can manage,” rasped Fischer.

“Alright.” Arthur helped Fischer to his feet. Then together, they made their way to Arthur’s car.

“Some date, huh?” Fischer said lethargically as he settled into the car.

“Shut up,” Arthur stressed as he drove towards the hospital. “You just went into anaphylactic shock on me. This is not the time to joke around.” Arthur felt a surge of guilt. He should have asked if Fischer was allergic to anything before inviting the man over.

“Not your fault, Arthur,” mumbled Fischer. “You didn’t know, and I didn’t say anything. I’ll be fine.”

Yes, but still… Arthur tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He concentrated on driving faster without putting them in danger.

~*~*~

“Oh my God, Arthur,” exclaimed Ariadne in mock shock. “I knew you were ruthless, but you didn’t have to kill your date.”

“I didn’t kill him,” said Arthur drily as he looked over the report Ariadne gave him. He finished recounting the story to Ariande.

“There, you admitted to yourself that you didn’t kill Robert Fischer,” said Ariadne pointedly. “You can now stop blaming yourself – starting now.”

“Who said I’m blaming myself?”

“It’s written all over your face and on how abrupt you act,” stated Ariadne. “How is Robert anyways?”

Arthur shook his head. “He’s taking a few days off to recover. Last I heard, he’s still breathing.”

“Which means you’re still on talking terms with him.” Ariadne grinned. “Is he the one, Arthur?”

Arthur placed his pen down and looked Ariadne in the eyes. “Why are you so intent to marrying me off?”

“You’re my friend, Arthur.” Ariadne raised an eyebrow. “Of course I want to see you happy with someone. So you and him?”

Arthur sighed. “We’re just friends. That’s all. I don’t have time for a relationship.”

“If I had a dime for every time I heard you say that, Arthur,” said Ariadne with exasperation. “You have time to take care of Artemis.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes at Artemis. “Speaking of Artemis, did you find her a home yet?”

Arthur was amazed how quickly Ariadne left the room.

~*~*~

When Arthur arrived back home, he was greeted with a surprise. Eames stood under the tree with Artemis in his arms.

Learning his lesson from last week, Arthur cracked the window open for Artemis. Risking Artemis getting stuck in the tree was the lesser evil than having his apartment torn up.

“I thought I save you a step, Arthur,” Eames said in greeting. He scratched Artemis behind her ear. “I saw her in the tree as I drove by earlier to the station.”

Arthur saw that Eames brought his own truck and not the fire engine. The ladder was stowed away in the bed of the truck. He quickly figured that Eames was here without the knowledge of Captain Cobb. He decided not to comment as he accepted Artemis from Eames.

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Arthur said softly.

“ _Eames_ , please. I hate all the formal rubbish.” Eames smirked and crossed his arms behind his head. He leaned back against the tree, regarding Arthur slyly. “Do I at least earn the information on what you do for a living now?”

“Not a chance,” Arthur said firmly. He didn’t understand why Eames was obsessed to know what he does.

“Alright then.” Eames raised an eyebrow. “I’ll just have to use my imagination like you told me and guess that you’re secretly a personal escort of a sort.”

“Excuse me,” Arthur said, sounding stunned. He didn’t know whether to be amused or be insulted.

“You heard me, love.” Eames sounded cocky. “Coming back home at odd hours and once or twice I saw you with a pretty boy. I can only conclude the obvious.”

An annoying tick worked the corner of his brow. He opted to take offence. “I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re way off your mark.”

“Oh really,” Eames said lightly. “Are you sure? I’m really good at reading people.”

Arthur set his jaw and glared up at Eames. “I think you should return back to your station, Lieutenant Eames.”

Without missing a beat, Arthur turned his back on Eames. What a jerk, Arthur thought once again.

~*~*~

“You’re looking better today,” commented Arthur when he saw Fischer at work on Monday. 

“I’m feeling much better,” confirmed Fischer. “Listen, I never got a chance to apologize for messing up dinner.”

“Well, it’s my fault for not telling you I have a cat.” Arthur shot a sidelong look over at Fischer before he continued checking the medications

Fischer snorted. “Then we’re even. But I do feel bad for ruining the evening.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “If you want to make it up to me, we could go to dinner again. This time we’ll stay away from my place.”

“About that, Arthur,” Fischer said slowly, which caused Arthur to pause. “I’m resigning.”

Arthur’s brows furrowed as he turned to look at Fischer. “Why?”

“It’s my father.” Fischer frowned, looking troubled. “He’s… His health is declining. I just got word of this over the weekend. I have to go take care of…things.”

“Of course,” Arthur said, understanding. “What can I do to help?”

Fischer shook his head. “This is my last shift. I’m leaving back to New York tonight.”

“Oh” was the only thing Arthur could think to say.

“I do want to stay in contact though,” said Fischer quickly.

“Definitely,” Arthur responded. He knew Fischer wouldn’t have time between taking care of his father and his business. He couldn’t bother with having a boyfriend on the sidelines. They haven’t committed to anything this early in their relationship was what Arthur told himself.

That night, Arthur returned home and crashed on the couch. He flung his arms across his eyes. At the moment, he was not motivated to look at his schoolwork. He was tired and NOT feeling down for having to say goodbye.

Somewhere he heard Artemis padding around the apartment. Then he felt Artemis jump onto the couch and settle on his stomach. He sighed and brought his arm down to pet Artemis. He supposed he could take an hour break.

~*~*~

Arthur wasn’t at all surprised to see Eames with Artemis. He stepped out of his car and worked his way over to Eames. Arthur took Artemis out of Eames’ arms with a glare. “Thank you,” he said coldly before he turned away from Eames.

“Arthur, wait,” called Eames.

Arthur paused. He didn’t want to talk to the asshole, but he supposed he owed Eames some manners for getting Artemis down. He turned, arching a questioning eyebrow at Eames.

The corner of Eames’ lips twitched into a small smile. He offered a foam cup to Arthur. “I’m sorry that I insulted you last time. I was being a prat. Peace offering.”

Arthur’s eyes narrowed at the cup then glared up at Eames. He didn’t make any move to take the cup.

Eames wiggled the cup. “Go on and take it. It’s tea.”

“Fine.” Arthur gave Eames a look before slowly taking the drink out of his hands. He took a sip and hummed in pleasure. It was still hot.

Eames’ smile widened into the grin. “There you go. Long night, pet?”

Arthur rolled his eyes at the pet names. “More like long week.”

“You do look knackered,” said Eames sympathetically.

Arthur shrugged before taking another sip of tea. He found it surprisingly soothing. “There are a few tests I’ve been studying for.”

“Hmm, work and school. That explains why you’re a stick in a mud,” Eames said jokingly.

Arthur gave Eames a halfhearted glare. He didn’t know why he told Eames about his stresses at school. It was probably because Eames was acting decent for once, or Arthur was more exhausted than he thought.

Arthur shook his head, “I need to get some sleep.”

Eames frowned. “I didn’t inadvertently insult you again, did I?”

Did Arthur hear genuine worry in Eames’ tone? He couldn’t help but crack a smile in amusement. “No you didn’t. Even if you did, you’ll be back here again to rescue my cat.”

Eames laughed and stretched his arms to the side. “Can’t say you didn’t know a bloke.”

Arthur’s smile deepened enough to show his dimples before he left Eames standing under the tree.

Before Arthur knew what happened, his routine changed after that night. Somehow, every Friday after work, Eames was there. He would be sitting at the base of the tree, Artemis dozing in his lap and a thermos of green tea next to him. Arthur accepted the new routine reluctantly.

~*~*~

Arthur’s eyes opened fluently from a deep sleep. Disoriented, he blinked as his rattled brain tried to decipher what woke him. The sirens rang loudly outside his apartment before dimming into the distance. Then his alarm came on.

Groaning, Arthur turned to shut off his alarm. It was time to go to work. Like the rest of the world, he hated Mondays.

“There you are, Arthur,” huffed Ariadne. The ER was a mess and packed with more people than normal.

“What the hell is going on?” Arthur asked as he was ushered to the locker room. He quickly dumped his stuff before rushing back into the chaos.

Ariadne followed him while giving him the report. “There’s been a fire. Some of the victims were diverted to our hospital to give the other hospitals relief.”

“I hope they know we’re not a trauma one hospital,” said Arthur as he accepted a clipboard from another nurse.

“Of course they know, Arthur,” stated Ariadne in disbelief. “We’re just getting minor burns and smoke inhalations – maybe some orthopedic injury.”

Arthur nodded as he scanned the first chart. “Let’s get to work.”

By the third chart, Arthur’s brows furrowed in concentration when he spotted the name on top.

Name: William Bartholomew Eames.  
DOB: 9/15/1977  
Allergies: NKA

33-year-old male.  Occupation: Firefighter.  On scene at the fire and admitted for respiratory distress.

Arthur parted the curtains and found Eames sitting up in bed with an oxygen mask obscuring his face. Eames’ eyes rounded once he spotted Arthur. Arthur braced himself for the verbal humiliation.

“A nurse?” The mask muffled Eames’ words. “You’re a bloody nurse?” He wrapped an arm around his side and laughed. However, his laugh immediately turned into raspy coughs. “Here I am…thinking…you’re an assassin.”

“Shut up you idiot,” snapped Arthur as he saw Eames’ O2 saturation levels drop to the low 80s. He reached over Eames to turn the oxygen up. “Breath, asshole.”

“Brilliant bedside manners, darling,” choked Eames before he closed his eyes and concentrated on taking deep breaths. 

Arthur watched the monitor as well as keeping track of Eames’ respiration rate. Satisfied, he strapped the blood pressure cuff onto Eames’ arm and began taking vitals.

Arthur started rattling the standard questions for assessment and watched Eames nod or shake his head in response. Eames realized he wasn’t up for a breathy conversation.

Arthur placed his stethoscope onto Eames’ chest and listened. He nodded with satisfaction. “Lungs sound clear.”

He wrapped his stethoscope around his neck and peered down at Eames. “The doctor will probably stop by as soon as he can.”

Arthur turned, having finished with his assessment. His mind efficiently moved towards the next patient on his list. However, a large hand encircling his wrist stopped him.

“Arthur…I, um,” Eames paused, releasing his hand. He mustered a shaky smile. “Have you heard any information about my mates?”

Arthur’s features softened slightly at the sight of Eames’ worry. “No, I haven’t.”

Eames chuckled humorlessly and leaned back against the bed. “Sod it all. I guess I’m the weakest link in the company.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “You are at a disadvantage with a name like William Bartholomew Eames.”

“Oi,” said Eames with mock irritation. “I guess I deserve that for laughing at you being a nurse. Now you know why I like to be called by my surname.”

Arthur smiled. At least he temporarily distracted Eames from his worry. “You might be transferring to the medical floor soon. I’ll try to check up on you later.”

“Is that a promise?” Eames wiggled his eyebrows at him.

“Shut up and relax, Mr. Eames,” Arthur said sternly. He turned to leave, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught Eames smiling broadly behind the oxygen mask.

Arthur shook his head at Eames’ antic as he prepped the next patient. As he danced around the emergency room, he made quick glances at Eames. He continued to divide his attention until Eames transferred out of the emergency room. From there, he began to focus. The time flew by.

By the end of his shift, Arthur found himself sitting on one of the benches in the locker room. His back rested against the brick wall. He sported a weary grin of accomplishment. The day certainly took a toll on him, but he was satisfied how he handled it all.

“Arthur,” called Ariadne in the locker room.

“Yeah?” Arthur didn’t have any intentions of moving. He was utterly fine if Ariadne wanted to shout into the locker room. He was also fine if Ariadne charged into the men’s locker room to find him too. He wasn’t going to move. 

“Don’t you dare think I don’t have the guts to enter in there, jerk,” Ariadne shouted.

If Arthur leaned forward, he may be able to see Ariadne around the row of lockers, standing outside the doorway. Arthur grinned and leaned his head back against the wall. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Ariadne. Now, what’s so important that you’re stalking the men’s locker room and not going home?”

“You have a phone call from one of the floor nurses,” said Ariadne with obvious annoyance.

“Tell them I’m gone.” Nurses from the floor only call the ER nurses if the patient left any personal items. In their attempt to appease the patient, they make a call down to the ER to check. Arthur doesn’t have the energy to deal with those types of mundane situations.

“It’s about that firefighter you admitted here,” stated Ariadne after a pause.

Arthur bolted up and walked out of the locker room to find Ariadne smiling. He glared down at her. “Don’t even say it.”

Ariadne grinned and followed Arthur back into the ER. “So is this the guy who keeps rescuing Artemis?”

Arthur held back a groan. He shouldn’t have told Ariadne about that. He went to the nurses’ station looking for his call. “Where’s the call?”

“She left me the message,” laughed Ariadne.

Arthur felt exasperated as he turned and looked at Ariadne expectantly.

“Oh, this is too good,” giggled Ariadne.

“Just give me the damn message,” Arthur said sternly.

Ariadne took a breath and said, “Your firefighter wants to see you.”

Arthur raised his eyebrows, expecting Ariadne to elaborate, but she didn’t. “That’s it?”

Ariadne shrugged. “That’s it.” The smile returned. “So, can I meet this firefighter of yours?”

“No,” Arthur said as he turned away from the nurses’ station. “He’s not mine either, so go home.”

Without waiting for Ariadne’s response, Arthur left the ER for the medical floors. It only took a few minutes to locate Eames’ room. He wondered briefly why Eames requested to see him, or why he responded the way he did. Regardless, Arthur found himself standing outside one of the hospital rooms. 

He knocked before entering and found Eames standing in the middle of the room. The grime and the sweat were washed away, and his hair was slicked back. His items and firefighting gear were gathered on the hospital bed. Arthur noticed Eames did not require oxygen anymore. Eames looked like he was about to be discharged.

“Oh, Arthur,” greeted Eames lightly. His voice was raspy from the smoke inhalation, but he looked better. “I was hoping you haven’t left yet. I’m glad you’ve stopped by.”

“Okay.” Without anything else to do, Arthur looked around the room. He suddenly felt uneasy standing in Eames’ room. “What is it you want me for?”

Eames gave Arthur a toothy grin. “I was hoping that I could bum a ride with you. You know, back to the station since that’s the general area you’re going anyways.”

“What about your firefighter buddies?” questioned Arthur. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to take Eames, but he wanted to understand why Eames chose him for this task.

“The boys had a rough go with that fire. I don’t want to impose.” Eames had a serious tone that Arthur couldn’t ignore. “Besides,” Eames continued teasingly, “you owe me for getting your beloved cat down all those times.”

Arthur’s shoulder sagged in defeat. He knew one day that would haunt him. Finally, He nodded his head towards the door. “We have to go through the ER again so that I could pick up my stuff.”

“Cheers, love,” said Eames cheerfully.

~*~*~

Arthur’s stress continued to mount. His tolerance was tested between school and work, especially with midterms around the corner. He’d forgotten what graduate school was like. He began to think he was an idiot for wanting to return back to school. The only time he actually looked forward to school was the brief moments on Friday nights after work.

After all these weeks, Artemis regularly got stuck in the tree on Fridays. Arthur suspected this was a game to get his attention – or Eames’ attention. Eames continued to help Artemis down the tree on a weekly basis. While there, he waited for Arthur with a thermos of tea. 

“How’s work?” Eames asked as he handed Arthur a cup of tea. 

Arthur started to enjoy being greeted by someone after work. He wasn’t quite used to something quite domestic.

They both settled on the curve. Artemis curled in Eames’ lap, while Arthur cupped his tea in both hands to relish the heat.

“The same,” Arthur responded moodily. “After a while, all the patients tend to have the same situation.” 

He didn’t know when or how it happened, but he opened up to Eames a bit more. He began to disclose tidbits of his life to Eames, like they were friends. Maybe it started after the time Eames was hospitalized and asked him to take him back to the station, or it could be one of the many times he came by to rescue Artemis.

“So you’re telling me you can do your job blindfolded, with one hand tied behind your back. Not that I really want you to attempt that as a nurse,” snorted Eames. “Yet you still have those adorable stress lines, pet.” Eames reached with his index finger and pressed his fingertip between Arthur’s brows. “It must be all that schoolwork then.”

Arthur slapped Eames’ hand away from his face. “It’s not a walk in the park.”

“I believe you.” Eames placed a hand over his heart. “I couldn’t begin to imagine how I would handle going back to school plus doing my job. My mind would turn into scramble eggs after a few days.”

Arthur scoffed at the exaggeration. The more he hung out with Eames, the more he found Eames’ larger-than-life personality entertaining. Arthur contented himself by leaning his head against the palm of his hand and looking at Eames. He never realized how full Eames’ lips were, or how muscular his arms were when he flexed them. The beginning of a tattoo peeked under Eames’s shirtsleeve. Yet he noticed Eames’ strong hands holding onto Artemis in a gentle way.

“Since we’re on the topic of twenty question,” Eames said offhandedly in a way to open another topic. He sounded hesitant, but he said what was on his mind anyways. “Whatever happened to that good looking guy that came by your flat?”

“Robert Fischer?” Arthur said with surprise. “He left to tend some family business.”

“Oh,” said Eames and didn’t expand on his thoughts any further.

Arthur stared suspiciously at Eames. “Hey, how did you know about Robert?”

“Well, er…” Eames reached to rub the back of his neck, hiding his embarrassment. 

Arthur could tell Eames was trying to figure what to say to him. He waited patiently, expecting a good show out of this one.

“You see, I drive by your place a lot to get to the station,” explained Eames. “It’s like clockwork, you and I. I happen to drive by when you leave or come back to your place…most of the time. I so happen to have spotted you with that gent a few times.” Eames huffed in dry laughter. “That was the time I inadvertently thought you were an escort.”

Instead of getting annoyed, Arthur bit his lower lip to prevent himself from smiling as Eames stumbled with his words. “You’ve been watching me.”

Eames stopped short. “Are you pegging me a stalker?” Eames accused Arthur, and then he caught himself at how childish he sounded. “Oh, sod it all. I admit that I glance out of my window as I drive by in my big red trolley. It often passed through my mind to wonder who you were.”

“Uh-huh,” stated Arthur, really enjoying how uncomfortable Eames acted. It wasn’t often he managed this feat.

“I’m not stalking you.” Eames pointed a stern finger over at Arthur to get his point across. “I’m not a perv either.”

“Didn’t say you were.” Arthur blinked innocently back at Eames.

“I can see the thought running through that pretty little head of yours, darling.”

Arthur shook his head. “Wrong again, Mr. Eames. Though, I’ve been wondering why you keep coming over and helping me with Artemis.” Things were beginning to fall into place. All this time, Eames wanted to meet him.

Eames laughed. “I guess you saw through my clever ploy. So about this Mr. Fischer…”

“He’s gone.” Arthur confirmed slowly. There was a total of one call after all these weeks from Fischer. Fischer basically told him what he already knew. He was too busy between taking care of his father and his father’s business. 

“Excellent.” Eames’ smile widened into a grin. His eyes lit up with excitement. “Then you wouldn’t have any problem going out with me on Tuesday – in broad daylight.”

~*~*~

By Monday, Arthur didn’t mind going to work. Time flew by when Arthur was busy. No, he wasn’t excited about his date on Tuesday. He wasn’t thinking about it at all, he assured himself.

“What’s got you in a good mood?” Ariadne bumped her shoulder to Arthur’s in a friendly manner.

“I’m not in a good mood,” Arthur denied.

“You’re smiling while holding the emesis basin with that last patient. You’re chipper – or either that high.” Ariadne suddenly glowed as she punched Arthur in the shoulder. “You got laid didn’t you?”

“No.” Arthur looked appalled as he turned away from his friend. Yet he knew Ariadne, with her superior ability to observe, would discover what went on.

“Ah ha! You have a date!”

“Thank you for pointing that out to me,” Arthur said drily. “Now that you’ve figured out my deepest secret, you may now leave me alone.”

“Wait, wait.” Ariadne trailed after Arthur. “Who’s this guy?”

Arthur stayed silent. It didn’t take long for Ariadne to put two and two together. “Please tell me it’s not that hot fireman who asked you out.”

Arthur continued to be reticent. He didn’t want to feed into Ariadne’s excitement. After a moment, he noticed Ariadne wasn’t tailing him anymore. He stopped and looked back and found Ariadne a few paces back looking thoughtful.

He backpedaled, looking concern. “What’s wrong?”

Ariande blinked and shook her head. Her brows furrowed slightly. “I don’t know if I should tell you, Arthur.”

Arthur crossed his arms and gave Ariadne a pointed look, not impressed by her flare for dramatics. “What did you do?”

“It was an accident” was the first thing out of Ariadne’s mouth. “I told my roommate about how this fireman keeps coming over to your place.”

“To get my cat out of the tree.” Arthur suddenly added. How Ariadne phrased the “fireman” visiting his place sounded sordid. “What are you getting at, Ariadne?”

Ariadne sighed. “My roommate said she knew some of the fellas at the station and asked for your fireman’s name. Of course I gave it to her.”

“And?” Arthur couldn’t stop his curiosity. It was like a runaway train.

Ariadne worried her lower lip. “You’re not going to like what I’m about to tell you.”

~*~*~

A thief? Eames was a thief. Every spare moment where Arthur’s mind wasn’t occupied, that thought crept up. Ariadne didn’t know the details; therefore, Arthur didn’t know the details. All he knew was Eames was involved in a crime that resulted into him transferring to a different firefighting company. The law may or may not be involved. 

Arthur sat at the café where he was supposed to meet Eames, mulling over what to do. He thought about doing nothing and let things unfold on its own. Eames had been pleasant most of the time and annoying the rest of the time. Despite that minor detail, Arthur enjoyed his company.

However, Ariadne reminded him that conmen were supposed to be likable. Rescuing his cat, spending time and leading Arthur to believe he was interested could be a con to get close to Arthur and…what? Arthur wasn’t the richest man on the block. There shouldn’t be any reason for him to be a mark.

Arthur groaned and rubbed his face in his palm with frustration. Obviously, he hadn’t handled any situation like this before. Why did he attract all the strange men?

“You look like you went though a couple of rounds and lost, love.” Eames suddenly appeared and took the other vacant seat across from Arthur.

Arthur suddenly straightened his back and placed his hands on his lap. “Eames, you’re here.” He could have smacked his head. He might as well scream distrust.

“Of course I’m here. We did have an arrangement.”

“Of course,” said Arthur with a nervous twitch. “Shall we order something?” He thought he might as well buy some time before figuring out how to approach this.

They ordered, and they talked about their day. Anyone looking in on them would think that they were having a good time. At least that was what Arthur thought. 

Eames took a glance over at Arthur before taking a sip of coffee. He placed the cup down and steeped his fingertips. “So Arthur, are you going to tell me what’s on your mind?”

“Nothing.”

Eames gave him an I don’t believe you look. “Come now. You looked like you just ate something sour. And you’re doing a piss job hiding it, sweetheart.”

Arthur grumbled something under his breath. Not many people could read him so openly. So far Ariadne could and apparently Eames could too. How annoying. “Let it be.”

“Is it your work, school, or Artemis that got your knickers in a bind?” Eames continued, ignoring Arthur’s commands. 

Fine, if Eames really wanted to be persistent about this. Arthur lips thinned and prepped himself for what he was about to say. “I don’t think…” Arthur took a breath. This was the right thing to do, he told himself. “I don’t think we should see each other.”

There was a breath of silence after Arthur’s sudden announcement. During that second, Arthur witnessed Eames’ smile fade away. A look of bafflement colored Eames’ expression.

“I beg your pardon?” Eames looked at Arthur, studying him hard. “Right, I thought that’s what I heard. What brought you to this marvelous conclusion?” Eames asked levelly as he squared his shoulders as if he was bracing himself.

A frown marred Arthur’s lips as he tried to be tactful in his response. He fell back to his familiar response. “I don’t have time to commit to a relationship.”

“That’s a bunch of bullocks!” Eames nearly snapped. “Both you and I know that if you want something badly enough, you’ll make it happen. Try again.”

Arthur scowled back at Eames, causing Eames’ cocky smirk to appear in challenge. This feature of Eames annoyed Arthur.

Suddenly, Eames dropped the cockiness and showed a glimpse of uncertainty. “I thought this was going well.”

Arthur’s expression softened. “It was.”

“Then enlighten me.” The cockiness returned in full force like armor. “Oh and don’t bother lying darling. I can read you like an open book.”

“How about I tell you I don’t want to deal with a smug bastard everyday,” Arthur practically growled.

Eames smiled and leaned forward the rest his elbows on the table. He gazed into Arthur’s eyes. His look said everything: Is that all he got?

A throb began to thrum against Arthur’s skull. He resisted pinching the bridge of his nose. “Damn it,” cursed Arthur. “I know you’ve had a criminal background. I’m uncertain what your true intentions are towards me.”

Eames expression darkened. “What’s your resource?”

Arthur returned the glare, making sure Eames knew he wasn’t going to cower. “A friend of a friend knew your last firefighting company. They told her a few things.”

Eames chuckled darkly and brought his hand up to rub his eyes. He mumbled something under his breath. Arthur only caught scattered words such as ‘haunt’ and ‘arse’ but nothing he could string together. Arthur waited.

Eames looked up, his expression twisted in anger, disappointment, regret, and then nothing. “That was…” Eames clamped his mouth shut and raked his knuckles a few times on the table. He looked like he was about to explain something to Arthur but abruptly changed his mind. “You could have come to me and ask, Arthur. Instead you have to go behind my bloody back and do your own research,” Eames finally said.

“Would you have told me?” Arthur asked calmly. By the conflicting look that crossed Eames’ face, Arthur suspected no. 

“Would you have believed me if I denied that I was not guilty?” Eames shot back. 

Arthur’s heart jumped at the thought that this was all a misunderstanding. Again, would he trust Eames’ answer? Would he be able to take a gamble and go out on a limb for Eames? To take a leap of faith? He shook his head, stating the fact, “We don’t know each other well enough for that.”

“I suppose we don’t,” Eames said quietly. “Other than I’m the git who helps rescue your cat on a weekly basis.” He got up from his seat. He reached for his wallet and threw down several bills onto the table. “This date is on me. Ta.”

Eames left as Arthur sagged in his seat. That could have gone worse. His hand surprisingly shook as he reached for his cup of coffee.

~*~*~

Arthur was off his game for the rest of the week since that Tuesday – little things, like the inability to concentrate in class. He scored average on the quiz. He missed obvious points at work. He double charted on the same patient. All minute things that drove Arthur to the edge. 

Yet when Friday finally came around, Arthur felt angry for feeling anxious about going home. He prayed to whatever deity was willing to listen that Artemis, for once, did NOT climb that tree. It would be awkward to see Eames since that Tuesday.

“This is dumb,” Arthur mumbled to himself as he drove home from work. His whole body thrummed with tension. “Of course Eames won’t be there.”

After admitting that thought out loud, Arthur felt…empty. Nearly a semester had gone by with Arthur meeting Eames under the tree with Artemis during the darkest hours. He’d gotten used to seeing Eames every week, sharing tea and sharing events at work.

“Damn it Arthur, you were doing fine without him before. You can do it again.” He shook his head. “Great, I’m talking to myself.”

When Arthur convinced himself that Eames wouldn’t be there, he saw the fire engine parked by the curve. A shadowed figure stood under the tree. 

Arthur quickly parked his car and got out. “Eames?”

“No.” The man who Arthur thought was Eames turned. This man wore his casual firefighter uniform. His sandy blond hair slicked back. He squinted back at Arthur. “I’m Captain Cobb.”

Artemis squirmed in his arms, meowing her displeasure. “God damn it,” hissed Cobb as Artemis scratched his arm. He let her down, and she bolted toward Arthur.

Arthur hunkered down and scooped the poor cat into his arm. “Thank you for getting my cat down,” said Arthur with puzzlement. He wasn’t expecting to see Cobb of all people. “I thought you don’t retrieve cats from trees, Captain.”

“Yes, well it was either this or listen to my Lieutenant pine.” Cobb glanced at Arthur, studying him.

“Eames is pining?” Arthur asked carefully. 

Cobb snorted. “He won’t admit it if you label it as such, but he’s parading around the station at this ungodly hour, pretending NOT to be pissed off.” He continued to study Arthur from afar. “I had to step out before I strangled the guy.”

“You can stop looking at me like I’m under a microscope,” stated Arthur with a warning undertone.

“I’m sorry.” Cobb deliberately looked away. “I wanted to meet the man who was responsible for causing discord on my team for several days.”

Arthur gritted his teeth in frustration. “You’re looking at him. Now, is there something you want to say to me?” 

What Arthur hated most was being bullied. He subconsciously widened his stance and placed his weight on the balls of his feet. He observed that Cobb was taller and had more muscle mass, but on a one on one fight, Arthur was certain he would win.

Cobb blinked in mild surprise as he noticed Arthur’s sudden defensive stance. His lips twitched into a small smile. He huffed suspiciously like a breathy laugh. “I can see why Eames likes you.”

Cobb relaxed by leaning against the tree and crossing his arms. “I’m here to clear up a misunderstanding – if you’re willing to listen.”

Arthur relaxed marginally and nodded. “I’m listening.”

“Eames was involved in a theft where he was suspended from duty.” Cobb paused, trying to gauge Arthur’s reaction. Arthur didn’t give Cobb the satisfaction.

Cobb shrugged and continued. “Eames was charged for stealing items from homes the calls were placed. They found the stolen possessions hidden in his locker…”

Arthur raised an eyebrow at that. If he were to steal something, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to hide it in his locker.

Cobb smirked as if he read Arthur’s thoughts. “Eames wouldn’t have done that, despite how he wants most people to think he’s an idiot. Anyways, once they found the evidence, the case should have been closed. However, Eames’ former captain Saito refused to believe that Eames would do such a thing.

“After a long lengthy investigation, they found the real culprit. This bastard Nash had a grudge against Eames and set him up for the fall. Nash was terminated and Eames resumed his duty.”

Arthur sensed there was more Cobb was going to tell him.

“However,” Cobb looked solemn. “Eames couldn’t step back into his role. The rest of the guys gave him crap for getting Nash fired. Eames is pretty tolerant, but a guy has his limits before he fights back.

“By then Saito was getting heat that he couldn’t control his own team. Saito did one last favor for Eames before he stepped down. He transferred him to my company.”

Arthur absorbed all the information. He found Cobb staring at him, waiting for Arthur’s response. There was one question that came to Arthur’s mind. “Why are you tell me all this?”

“I hate misunderstandings,” Cobb answered simply. “It leads to pointless conflict.” Cobb straightened and headed for the fire engine. “Look, you seem like an intelligent guy. Do what you want with what I told you.” Cobb paused before getting into the truck. “Arthur, do you still have that number to the animal retrieval services I gave you a while back.”

Arthur nodded.

“Good, next time your cat is up the tree, you’re on your own.”

~*~*~

Unfortunately, Arthur had plenty of time to think. It wasn’t like he wanted to think about the what ifs. His subconscious nagged at him. At one point, he had an urge to call Eames. That didn’t happen. At another point, he almost went over to the fire station to apologize to Eames. That didn’t happen either. He denied that he was conflicted.

Arthur ran through every situation and possible outcomes through his mind. In his mind’s eye, the result ended with fistfuls of embarrassment, dashes of anger, and a sprinkle of hurt.

He watched the fire engine drive by like he was…pining. When Arthur realized he sunk low enough to pine, the anger returned. They weren’t even dating. There was nothing to pine about, damn it! Maybe this was how Eames felt too.

Arthur remained pissed and seeing Artemis stuck in the tree again didn’t help matters. “Damn you,” Arthur snapped up the tree. “This is all your fault. None of this would have ever happened if I didn’t agree to take you in. Eames wouldn’t have wormed himself into my life.”

Arthur bowed his head. “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. He took a calming breath. No one was going to come out here to help him. He narrowed his eyes up at the tree and started to strip his jacket. He wasn’t helpless.

By the time Arthur rolled up his sleeves, he had calculated how to get Artemis down. He locked his eyes on the lowest branch. This was the same branch he wanted to climb before Eames rolled up in the fire engine that first night many weeks ago.

He grabbed onto the branch and pulled himself up. His feet scraped against the tree to perch. The branch bowed under his weight, but it appeared to hold. Arthur let out a breath and reached for the next branch.

Artemis wasn’t too far, but Arthur had to at least climb a couple more branches to reach her. He reached for the next branch he thought was sturdy and began the climb. By the time he was close to Artemis, Arthur stood fully on one branch while leaning forward with one hand on another branch. With his free hand, he proceeded to reach out for Artemis.

“Here girl,” said Arthur breathlessly. “Come here and we’ll get you down.” Arthur leaned forward, chancing to put more of his weight on his arm as he stretched towards Artemis.

Arthur heard a horrifying crack before his world turned sideways in a blur of twigs and leaves. In a blink, Arthur landed on his side. The fall happened so quickly that he didn’t have time to register. His vision went white with pain. He couldn’t draw in a breath. In his mind, he knew he needed to stay calm, but instinct and adrenaline overrode what he needed to do. He curled into himself and gasped. If only he could breath, then he would be able think and assess what was wrong.

“Bloody hell, Arthur!” Someone shouted over his head, but Arthur had his eyes screwed shut to know who it was. He felt strong hands on his shoulder. Those same hands started to turn Arthur from his side and onto his back.

Arthur wanted to shout in protest at the sudden movement, but he couldn’t spare the breath. Instead his eyes flew open to see who the hell was trying to help. His pain-filled gaze locked with Eames’ worried one.

“You stupid git,” snapped Eames. “What were you thinking, trying to climb that damn tree?”

It wasn’t fair, thought Arthur through the haze of pain. He couldn’t verbally retaliate.

“Shit,” Eames swore. He fumbled with the two-way radio on his belt. “Hey Captain, do you read?” Eames paused as he waited for a response. “I need an ambulance… A thirty-ish year old male… Ground level fall…” Eames waited again. “Yeah…it’s Arthur.”

How dare Eames say Arthur’s name with pity. Who did he think he was? Arthur huffed but stilled as Eames ran his hand over the side of his neck. “Stay still. I’m not taking any chances with you having a broken neck. Okay Arthur, are you with me?”

“Yes.” Arthur found that the pain didn’t intensify if he didn’t take a deep breath. He tried to keep still as Eames continued with his assessment.

“Any numbness or tingling in your arms and legs?”

“No.”

“Let’s see those fingers and feet move.” Eames concentrated on Arthur’s hands and feet. “Good. Now can you tell me what hurts?”

Arthur knew immediately that he fractured his ribs. “Ribs.”

Eames nodded. “Your left wrist doesn’t look good either.”

Arthur closed his eyes. He was certain there were more problems as soon he was admitted to the hospital. He started to shiver. 

“Oi, Arthur stay with me, darling.” Eames urged, somewhere near Arthur’s ear.

Arthur opened his eyes in time to see Eames take off his jacket, draping it over Arthur’s body.

Eames sighed as he looked back at Arthur. “I would hate for you to go into shock.” The corner of Eames’ lips twitched. “It’s a good thing I decided to take a walk tonight, or there wouldn’t be anyone to save your sorry arse.”

“Fuck…you.” For Arthur, that was worth the painful breath to say.

Eames chuckled. He opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted as the ambulance pulled up. Eames was pulled aside as the EMTs surrounded Arthur. As the EMT placed the cervical collar around Arthur’s neck and moved him onto the stretcher, he suddenly felt giddy. Maybe it was the sudden release of endorphins to counter the pain, but Arthur suddenly felt satisfied for getting the last word.

~*~*~

Arthur rested, propped against the hospital bed. His left arm was in a sling; his left wrist was splinted and ace-wrapped. A friend was kind enough to fetch his laptop and backpack. He typed away with his right hand on his laptop, trying to use his hospital stay in order to complete an assignment. Textbooks was scattered around his bedside table and bed.

He heard a courtesy knock before the heavy door parted. Arthur didn’t bother looking up, suspecting it was his nurse or the lab tech, etc.

“I knew you couldn’t get enough of this place, Arthur,” said Ariadne.

Arthur paused his work to greet Ariadne. “I am committed to this place,” Arthur said sarcastically.

“I can see that,” Ariadne teased back. “So, how does it feel to be on the other side – a patient?”

Arthur shrugged his good shoulder. “Well, you know nurses make the worst patients.” That wasn’t completely true. Arthur listened to what the doctors, nurses, and therapists wanted him to do. He only asked to be discharged ever since he was admitted.

“What’s the damage?” asked Ariadne as she took a seat next to the bed.

“Four ribs, clavicle, and wrist fractures, all non-displaced and non-operable.” Arthur glanced down at his wrist. “I have an outpatient appointment with the orthopedic physician to cast the wrist once the swelling goes down.”

“You lucked out, Arthur,” Ariadne said seriously. “With a fall like that, it could have been far worse.”

Arthur knew that and counted his blessings. Being a nurse, he’d seen a variety of injuries at different severities. Arthur knew he was extremely lucky, considering the stupid stunt he pulled.

“When are you going to discharge?” asked Ariadne.

“Today,” Arthur said with determination.

Ariadne laughed. “I’m sure you demanded the doctors to release you. Do you need a ride?”

“That would be great actually,” said Arthur gratefully. He was certain that the doctors would restrict his driving until he was better.

Arthur wasn’t discharged until later that afternoon. Ariadne came in and out of his room, having to run errands as well. He finally shucked the hideous hospital gown and dressed in his own clothes. It was a bit tricky with his left arm, but he managed. He placed everything else in his pack and other random things in the patient belonging bag.

Finally, Arthur needed to sign some paperwork, get his prescription, and wait for Ariadne to return. He sat on the edge of the bed. With nothing better to do, he stared at the navy blue jacket draped over the chair. Over the breast pocket stitched the firefighter symbol in red. 

The jacket belonged to Eames, the same jacket Eames draped over him while on the ground. It came along with Arthur. During the three-day hospital stay, Eames never showed up to retrieve the jacket.

Arthur sighed. He supposed he shouldn’t expect Eames to come in to visit. However, his mind wandered back three nights ago. It wasn’t coincidence that Eames was nearby. Maybe Eames was as conflicted as Arthur the past week and finally broke down by coming to see him.

“You ready to go?” Ariadne asked as she entered the room.

“Yeah, I am,” said Arthur dully. He stood and grabbed the jacket off the chair.

The ride home was quiet, at least for Arthur. He stayed contemplative while half-listening to Ariadne’s chatter. Ariadne said something about making dinner and helping him around his apartment, as she took his pack out of the car. Arthur held onto the jacket.

“Um, Arthur,” Ariadne said tentatively. “Look.”

Arthur, preoccupied with his thoughts, looked up to find Eames sitting on the steps leading into the apartment complex. Arthur’s brows furrowed. Eames stood to meet them at the base of the stairs. He was also carrying Artemis.

“I took the liberty of taking care of Artemis while you were in the hospital,” reported Eames. He stood casually, but his gaze was trained intensely on Arthur.

Ariadne looked from Eames to Arthur. She shifted uncomfortably before reaching into Arthur’s pack, fishing for the keys. “Hey Arthur, I’m going on ahead to start on dinner. I’ll take Artemis.” Ariadne shifted the pack and took Artemis out of Eames’ arm.

Arthur and Eames were soon left alone. Arthur got the feeling they were sizing each other up. “How did you know I was coming home today?” asked Arthur.

“I called the hospital a while ago. They said you were gone,” Eames answered, his affect flat. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ll survive,” returned Arthur, equally as neutral as Eames. “I have your jacket.”

Eames nodded and took his jacket from Arthur. “So what’s your plan now?”

“I have to go back to get my wrist cast. I’m on short-term disability until the doctor clears me to return back to work. But I’m still planning on finishing the semester.”

“Oh,” Eames said lamely. “At least I know you won’t be climbing anymore trees.”

“Yeah,” Arthur said, equally as lame. He shifted his weight. This was silly. They acted like nervous teenagers. He should say what was on his mind from the past week, kiss, and make up.

“Look,” both Arthur and Eames ended up saying at the same time. They waited for the other to start, which resulted in an uneasy silence.

“You first,” urged Eames.

Now that Arthur had his moment to make things right to possibly start over with Eames, he chocked. “I wanted to say thank you for helping me and for looking after Artemis.”

Eames did a great job keeping his emotions neutral. “I was doing my civil duty.” He paused. A little glimmer of anger flashed through his eyes. “Look, I want to make sure that you’re not going batty and try that stunt again. As much as I know you don’t want to leave your cat up in the tree. She won’t die if she was left up there for one night.”

Arthur was slightly taken aback by Eames’ anger. “I’ll take that under advisement.”

Eames looked searchingly into Arthur’s eyes as if making sure Arthur won’t attempt getting Artemis down without help. Satisfied, Eames nodded. He stepped around Arthur. “Right then, I’m heading back to the station.”

Another opportunity presented itself for Arthur to apologize. He watched Eames walk away. It was probably for the best not to say anything, consoled Arthur. Eames probably didn’t want anything to do with him. An epiphany suddenly dawned on Arthur. He realized that he didn’t want to face Eames’ rejection. So he stubbornly kept his mouth shut.

~*~*~

Arthur found that regret was a powerful emotion. It gnawed and chipped at him continually. Finally it came to the point where Arthur needed some sort of closure with Eames. If it meant having Eames’ resentment, he would at least have apologized. Then he could move on…

Arthur came to this conclusion on Friday night. He was restricted from work and his studies were caught up for now. He sat on his couch trapped with his own thoughts. Because of his work schedule, his body was conditioned to be up and working at this time. He felt restless. He glanced at the clock. It was approaching 1 A.M.

“Artemis?” Arthur glanced around the room but couldn’t find Artemis. He carefully got off the couch, mindful of his rib fractures. He combed through the rooms until he noticed the window was cracked open.

Arthur couldn’t muster enough energy to be upset. He shook his head and exited his apartment. He went to the exact same tree and peered up. He tilted his held in puzzlement when he didn’t see Artemis.

“Well, I’ll be darn. This is a change in pace.” Arthur looked around the complex and walked a few doors down. There wasn’t any sign of his cat.

Arthur found himself back under the tree. He slumped against the trunk and slid down until he sat on the ground. He tilted his head back and gazed up at the night sky. Arthur did this because he could, not because he felt dejected.

“Arthur, what are you doing sitting down there?”

Arthur blinked and turned his head to find Eames standing a few feet away from him. Was he dreaming? Frowning, he glanced down at his watch and realized how long he’d been sitting outside. The time was approaching 2 A.M. He glanced back at Eames and saw Artemis in his arms.

Eames followed Arthur’s gaze. “Oh, I found dear Artemis hanging around the station. I thought you might want her back.” He walked closer and unloaded Artemis into Arthur’s lap.

Arthur petted Artemis and mumbled a thank you. He expected Eames to leave but was stunned when Eames took a seat next to him. He glanced over at Eames, not bothering to cover his astonishment.

“You never answered my question, Arthur,” said Eames in a serious tone.

Arthur wished Eames wouldn’t stare at him intensely like he was the only one in the world. “I was waiting…” Arthur cut himself off. He was about to say, waiting for you. His mind scrambled for something else to say.

“I was waiting,” Arthur began again, clearing his voice. “I was waiting to see why Artemis found it so appealing to climb this tree.”

“So, you wanted to catch this kitten in the act.”

“Something like that.” Arthur sneezed.

“Arthur, just how long have you been sitting out here?” Eames reached to touch Arthur’s hand and then frowned. “You’re hand is like a block of ice.”

Before Arthur could argue, Eames took off his jack and placed it over Arthur. He was mindful of Arthur’s injuries. Eames gave him a pointed look. “You don’t need a cold on top of everything else, Arthur.”

Arthur didn’t realize how cold he felt until he felt the warmth that came with Eames’ jacket. He sighed. Now that Eames was here, this is now or never. “Eames, I’m sorry. Cobb told me everything, and I should have let you explain things instead of jumping to conclusions.”

Eames shifted next to Arthur. It seemed like an eternity before Eames said anything. “You shouldn’t take all the blame. In fact, I don’t blame you at all.” Eames puffed his cheeks and let out a breath. “I would probably react the same way as you did if I was told my date was a criminal.” 

“But you aren’t a criminal,” stated Arthur quietly.

Eames smiled sadly. “Guilty or not, it’s still a mark on my prestigious record, darling.”

The pet names Arthur found annoying before caused him to smile. He noticed Eames’ lack of endearments lately. “Eames, why are you here?”

“I thought that would be obvious, Arthur,” Eames said levelly. “I’m returning your cat.”

“Is that really all there is?” Arthur looked over at Eames with suspicion.

Both Arthur and Eames exchanged glares with Eames being the first to back down. For one brief moment, Arthur thought Eames was going to storm away. If that was the case, it would be within Eames’ right. He apologized, and now this was Eames’ choice.

Eames didn’t leave. Instead he shifted until he sat in front of Arthur. “I’ve been wanting to see you again since that…bloody date ended. My resolve broke that day I saw you fall out of this damn tree.”

Arthur winced. “You saw that didn’t you?”

“That was the single most terrifying sight I saw,” said Eames levelly. “I can very well tell you I’ve seen a lot of damn things. I swear I felt my heart squeeze into my throat.”

“You did a great job staying calm,” Arthur said offhandedly. He allowed himself to relax a little. This was becoming the familiar companionship he had with Eames. 

Eames chuckled. “You were lucky that my professional training kicked in.” He sobered. “Now that we got the awkwardness out of the way. Do you want to…”

“Start over,” finished Arthur.

Eames smirked. “Well, I was going to say jump into bed with me and shag a few rounds, but starting over with another date sounds good.”

Artemis purred contently, and Arthur smiled.

Epilogue

Arthur tapped away on his laptop. He finally was able to use his left hand. The sling was gone, but the cast remained heavy around his wrist and up his forearm. He couldn’t lift anything heavier than a glass of water for several more weeks – nuances. 

He stopped typing to stare intensely at the screen, trying to reread what he wrote.

“Arthur, sweetheart. Take a little break,” said Eames from somewhere in the kitchen.

“In a moment,” Arthur called back. “Let me finish this.”

A second later, a large hand closed his laptop. Arthur glared up at Eames. “Excuse me,” he said in a low deadly tone. “I was working on that.”

“It’ll keep,” Eames said slowly. His hand still rested over the laptop, preventing Arthur from opening it. “You’ve been at it for hours.”

“That’s because finals are coming up, and I need to finish my assignments.” This was going to be the last time he’d invite Eames over to his place. Of course he distinctly remembered that same thought the last time Eames was over – nuances.

Eames walked around the table and sat next to Arthur. He leaned in close, looking pathetic. “I need a snog.”

Arthur rolled his eyes but complied. The chaste kiss that Arthur meant to give Eames soon became something more. By the time they parted, Arthur was breathless. His cheeks felt flushed. Eames looked entirely too smug.

Arthur cleared his throat and looked away. “I guess I can take a little break.”

“Lovely,” Eames said with a grin. “I made sandwiches.”

Arthur frowned and glanced at the wall clock. “Is it lunchtime already?”

“Yes, pet,” Eames said as he tugged Arthur off the couch. “Like I mentioned before, you’ve been at it for hours. I’m starting to feel neglected.”

Arthur followed Eames into the kitchen when the buzzer rang. “Let me get that.” Arthur turned to get the door to find Ariadne.

“Hey Arthur,” Ariadne peered around Arthur’s shoulder. “Hey Eames.”

“Hey peanut.” Eames waved back from the kitchen.

Ariadne glared back at Eames. They officially met a couple of weeks ago. Arthur couldn’t decide whether they clicked, or whether they enjoyed teasing each other mirthlessly.

Ariadne turned back to Arthur. “Arthur I have great news for you.”

Arthur waited for the flare of dramatics to settle before asking, “What?”

“I finally found a good home for Artemis.”

Arthur went rigid. “You did?”

“Of course I did,” snorted Ariadne. “Ever since you got her, you wanted me to find her another home. Well…” She waved her hands. “Now I did.”

“Oh…well…I…” Arthur clamped his mouth shut when he realized he was stuttering. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I thought you would be happy.” Ariadne’s brows furrowed. “You’ve been nagging me every chance you got. Do you want for me to turn him down?”

“No,” Arthur said slowly. He didn’t realize how attached to the cat he was. He should tell Ariadne the truth.

“Don’t worry, darling,” came Eames as he wrapped his arms around Arthur from behind. “You can visit Artemis anytime you want. In fact, she can stay here with you if you like.”

Arthur stiffened as he absorbed what he heard. “Eames, you’re the one who wants to keep Artemis.”

“Of course. How could I allow you to get rid of our cat, hmm?” Eames gave Arthur a gentle hug. “I owe Artemis a great deal. Without her, I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to get close to you. Who else will get her down the tree?”

“None other than you, I suppose,” Arthur said while leaning back into Eames’ arms. 

Arthur wondered if Artemis plotted this whole mess from the beginning. He would never understand what went on in a cat’s mind, nor did he want to know. Somewhere in the apartment he heard Artemis meowing.

 _Fin_


End file.
